Bruce Cheadle of The Canadian Press has written an analysis piece of the current head-butting going on between the Parliament Hill press gallery and the Prime Minister's Office.
What's really at play is more prosaic and less partisan, say political players and observers, who have witnessed democratic governments of various stripes wrestle with the issue of image control and media messaging.
"Everyone starts with a (communications) plan, and then reality emerges," said Conservative Senator Hugh Segal.
"The government's present bias comes from the perception that the Martin Liberals had no discipline whatever with their relationship to the media, that they scrummed every 12 seconds somewhere, made another commitment, issued another press release. And in the end, the conclusion of everyone - including the media - was that none of it meant anything at all."
The pendulum under Harper, Segal says, is swinging the other way.
But how much of any communications strategy is substance, as compared to image-making? It depends on the audience.
Harper's media venue of choice has been a dignified lecturn in the Commons foyer, well separated from the roped-off reporters and framed by the oak doors to the House. Most pundits agree he's addressed lots of issues substantively during these availabilities, but is everyone listening?
"It's the old Mike Deaver thing: if you turn down the volume, the visuals appear like the prime minister is on (TV) a lot, in a shot that is good to him," said L. Ian MacDonald, the Montreal-based columnist and editor of Policy Options.
Many academics trace modern political messaging to 1980s U.S. president Ronald Reagan and his image doctor, Michael Deaver.
Their formula was simple. Messages delivered on TV tend to be taken as gospel. Provide excellent visual backdrops for your chosen message. Restrict access.
Sam Donaldson, the venerable ABC reporter, once described the Reagan formula this way: "They are very good at directing the news by making available something on a story that they want out and withholding from sight - remember television - something they aren't prepared to discuss."
The Conservatives are following the same script, including ordering cabinet ministers to stick to message while at the same time limiting the press gallery's opportunities for free-wheeling interaction.
Some Canadians have been puzzled by the media complaints about restricted access, because they're seeing lots of Harper and his ministers on TV.
The noteworthy point is that these appearances have been on the government's terms.